bleeding out

I see lots of folks use the hatchet or otherwise dispatch by cutting off the head. But when i tried that I had blood collect in the backs and shoulders while I plucked their bellies. This after using the kill cone and bleeding them out thoroughly. At least I thought I did. So I went back to throat slitting, which allows the heart to keep bleeding them out longer. At least that's my thoughts. Much like cutting a fish's gills before bonking them on the head.

Well, thanks. I had used the kill cone for the "calming effect". Calming effect on me, mostly. Not a big fan of all the flapping about. I remember my grandfather lopping off their heads with an axe and wiring them to the coop fence by the feet with wire to bleed out. There was a whole lot of mess going on, and I was pretty young. Something I won't forget.

Maybe that is part of the solution, the muscle spasms help bleed it out. I really hoped for more input, but I guess that's not gonna happen with 36 views and 1 response...

if i ever get the guts to kill a bird (haven't gotten my first one yet) i intend to use the cone (i think). i'm hoping i can sever the jugular & not too much so i can achieve the bleed out you are talking about. not a big fan of the gore, so them flapping blood everywhere isn't my cup of tea. however, i can see the possible benefit of them flapping - it probably gets the most blood out of any of the processes.

I feel it's more human to both break their necks and slit the throat, so I do it that way. I killed a cockerel last night by breaking his neck by hitting the back of the knife I had holding against the back of his neck, then slit the throat. Sometimes I cut the head off in one cut if I can, depending on what tools I'm using. I find a hatchet works well for meaties, but it just bounces off those tough hackles on cockerels and roosters, even if it's sharp enough to shave with! I soaked him in salted water overnight, that takes care of any excess blood. I wish I was strong enough to break the neck with my hands, then slit the throat, I think that would be less traumatic, but I haven't been able to do it. I don't know if I'm not strong enough or if I'm simply not doing it right. by the way, it was a 5 month old hatchery Blue Andalusian. I was very disappointed by all the red in his feathering and complete lack of black lacing, so I wasn't going to breed him so he had to go. Scrawniest bird I have EVER butchered! LOL! He was every bit as tall as my old Delaware rooster, but weighed only 2.5 lbs after cleaning the carcass! SCRAWNY! I hope he at least tastes good! lol. I think that Dellie roo was 8lbs after cleaning. I need to get some more of those. He was the best tasting chicken ever, too.

I've done a a lot: held them in my lap, slit their throats to bleed out; used a cone; used the broom method on a big rooster. I have still to just chop their heads off, but somehow I find that too undignified. I'm thinking that maybe they won't bleed out right if I just chop the head off. Today I read about an Italian woman that just puts em under the broom, steps on their head, pulls up on their feet, and kills them instantly. She doesn't bleed them out. I've seen several instances of this in Italy where they do not bleed them out. What happens then? Did we find out if head chopping bleeds them out properly?